Beautiful Tree Nymphs: Dazzling Red-Eyed Tree Frogs (16 PICS)

Red-eyed tree frogs are iconic rain-forest amphibians. They sleep during the day, hidden away, and stuck to the bottom of a leafs, keeping eyes closed and legs tucked in to cover body markings. This makes the little frogs almost invisible to other creatures that might be hunting for prey. There are scientists who believe these flamboyant frogs developed vivid ruby red eyes to shock predators for moment. That pause by predators can give the red-eyed tree a frog a chance to get away. This photo is of two bizarrely colored Red-Eyed Tree Frogs. Photo #1 by flickrfavorites

Leaf’s Eye View of the red-eyed frog, taken at the Houston Museum of Natural Science Tree Frog exhibit. Although there are many variations in coloring, red-eyed tree frogs use more than their eyes to shock predators. They flash their bulging scarlet peepers at the same time as revealing their webbed orange feet and bright blue-and-yellow flanks. This technique is called startle coloration; it may shock a snake or a bird for an instant, giving the frog a second to spring away to safety. Photo #2 by Adam Baker

A female red-eyed tree frog will lay her eggs on a leaf which hangs over water. When the eggs start to hatch, the tadpoles start twisting around. All that activity helps to completely break open each egg to release tiny tadpoles. The moisture from the hatched eggs help wash the tadpoles off the leaf to fall into the water beneath them. After the tadpoles metamorphose into froglets, they climb out of the water onto the nearby tree. This dazzling red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) was photographed near Playa Jaco in Costa Rica. Photo #3 by Carey James Balboa

This spectacular red-eyed tree frog was found in eastern Australia. The bright coloring is not a sign of being poisonous, but they are carnivores and chow down on insects. Botanists and other scientists hypothesize that the bright coloring may also function to send sexual signals, but that theory has not been proven. Photo #6 by LiquidGhoul

Red-eyed Tree Frog near Las Horquetas, Costa Rica. These tree frogs have suction disks on their fingers and toes that help them stick to leaves and trees. Since they live in trees, they walk and climb instead of hop like most frogs. Photo #7 by Hans Hillewaert

While both males and females have striking colorings, the female red-eyed tree frog is considerably larger than its mate. Males range from about 2 – 2½ inches, while female range from about 2½ – 3 inches. Photo #8 by Matt MacGillvray

Red-eyed treefrog (female), photographed on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Young frogs are usually brownish in color, but turn greener as they mature. Adult frogs can change their striking colors slightly depending on mood and environment. Photo #10 by Christian R. Linder

Cute red-eyed tree frog. Although these amphibians hide in the rain forest canopy, they can be found in tropical lowlands from southern Mexico, throughout Central America, and in northern South America. Photo #11 by Brian Gratwicke

2 red-eyed tree frogs. In the wild, the average life span of a red-eyed tree frog is 5 years. That’s not to say that some can’t live as long as 10 years. Photo #12 by Brian Gratwicke

Agalychnis callidryas, in Cahuita, Costa Rica. The natural rain forest canopy habitat of red-eyed tree frogs is shrinking fast, so these little iconic guys also serve as highly recognizable images used to promote the cause of saving the world’s rain forests. Photo #13 by Joxerra Aihartza

While this is no superstar Kermit the frog who laments it’s not easy being green, the bright colors of Agalychnis Callidryas almost make it appear cartoonish. But it is the red-eyed tree frog’s stunning colors which make it one of the most commonly used frogs in magazine and television advertisements. Photo #14 by Hans Hillewaert

Red Eye Frog at Danaus Eco Center. The frog is probably the most photogenic of all Costa Rica has a fairly sophisticated camouflage. Photo #15 by Carlos Luna